Congressman Keith Self (2:18)
Star State, cultures are not morally equivalent. Whereas Christianity is a religion of peace, of reconciliation, of love, Islam is a religion of the sword and it stands in direct irreconcilable conflict with a maximum Individual freedom at the heart of Western civilization and our Christian culture. Our rights derive from our Creator, not from any man made. Supremist code. America gladly welcomes those who come to assimilate and worship freely according to conscience. But we must never accommodate a system that demands the submission of every surrounding society. And Sharia explicitly requires precisely that. Our nation was founded on a simple but revolutionary idea that we would be governed not by kings, not by clerics, not by distant authorities, but by a constitution written by the people and and for the people. And that document remains the supreme law of this land. Let me be clear at the outset. America is a nation of religious freedom that includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and people of every faith or no faith. The First Amendment guarantees that right and we must defend it always. But religious freedom does not mean replacing American law with any other system of governance. Period. In North Texas and across the country, there are conversations about how international or religious legal traditions interact with our legal system. These are complex issues and they deserve serious, thoughtful discussion. Not fear mongering, not rhetoric, but clarity. But our constitutional is not optional. Our Constitution is not optional. It is not one system among many. It is the foundation upon which all other rights rest. When foreigners come to this country, they bring their traditions, cultures and beliefs that are woven then into the fabric of America, traditionally assimilation into our civic framework. Our shared commitment to constitutional law unites us as one nation. We cannot have parallel legal systems. We cannot have ambiguity about which laws govern our courts, our contracts or our communities. We cannot. The rule of law must remain consistent, transparent and rooted in the Constitution. G.K. chesterton said, A civilization is not destroyed by wicked men. It is destroyed by weak men who cannot defend what is good. So the question before us is simple. Will we defend our constitutional republic? Will we ensure that every generation not only understands their rights, but the source of their rights? Will we stand firm in the belief that American law, rooted in liberty, the value of every person and individual dignity, must remain the governing standard of this country? I believe the people in this room will. But it is incumbent upon us to to sound the alarm so the rest of America understands what is at stake. I believe here at cpac, among leaders, activists and citizens from across this nation, there is a shared commitment to preserving the constitutional order that has made America the greatest nation in history. I'm not so sure about others. With less than a minute go, I'm going to move on. As I've said repeatedly, Sharia has no place in America. The urgency of this fight was laid bare in the opening days of March when a disturbing wave of Islamic inspired attacks struck our soil on March 1st in Austin. March saw multiple attacks linked to Islamic extremists in New York City, Michigan, Virginia, all in March. All in one month of March. The enemy is inside the gates. Driven by a supremist ideology that claims divine authority over our Constitution and justifies violence against those who refuse submission. And nowhere is this seen more than the treatment of women. Under Sharia, women are relegated to a second class status. It explicitly permits wife beating as discipline. Imams have preached that women shall feel honored by beatings or liken them to livestock, cows, sheep, horses or mules. Created solely for men's use, Sharia codifies female genital mutilation, forced child marriage, honor killings, half inheritance for women, and testimony worth half that of a man. In nations embracing these rules, from Iran's regime of terror to places where adultery brings stoning, apostasy, death or public floggings, women live in chains. And even more horrifying, Sharia permits the rape and enslavement of non Muslim women. With some scholars openly declaring it permissible under the Quran and Hadith. These are not some fringe opinions. They're preached publicly. Don't believe this is happening. Tell that to the thousands of British teenage girls groomed, plied with alcohol, gang raped by Muslim gangs and then arrested by the police for being drunk in public while the rapists go free. Let me repeat, the victims are arrested. This is Sharia. If you come here, come here to be governed by the Constitution, not to replace it. That's not controversial, that's not extreme. That's American. And if we are not willing to say that clearly, boldly and unapologetically, then we are surrendering the very foundation of our Republic. We will not do that. Not in Texas, not in America. That is why 60 of us in the US Congress, 60 strong, now form the Sharia Free America Caucus representing 25 states. 25 states. But I ask you be aware, fellow patriots, get engaged against this extremist threat to our Constitution. Sign the Ban Sharia pledge, which you can find@bansharia.com over my 25 years wearing the cloth of the nation's military, then as a county judge here in North Texas, and now as a member of Congress, I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution multiple times. I cannot and will not allow our most precious founding document to be replaced. God bless you and God bless America. Thank you.
